By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

(Editors Note: This is the third of a four part series on standout student/athletes in the “Southern Six” that recently completed their careers and graduated.)

VANCLEAVE — No matter how many different sports they participated in previously, many standout prep baseball players in preparation for their senior season decide to just concentrate their efforts on the diamond.

But not Vancleave’s Hunter Harper. He took the tough way out.

Literally.

Harper began the school year as the starting fullback for a Vancleave football team that relies heavily on the running game.

All he did was combine with Vancleave tailback Kyle Capers to combine for over 2,000 yards rushing and lead the Bulldogs into the Class 5A South State playoffs.

In addition to serving as one of the main blocking backs for Capers, who ran for 1,083 yards, Harper also found time to run for 903 yards on 157 carries himself as well as score 10 touchdowns on the ground. He had four 110-yard games and a long rush of 44 yards on the season.

And that all came after Harper was coming off a baseball campaign his junior season in which he was a key factor in the march to the Class 5A state championship for the Bulldogs.

But “Harp” seemingly found another gear on the mound this season as he stepped into the role of the number one starter for first-year head coach Zac Haarala. Harper went an impressive 8-1 this season, and was a workhorse on the Hill for Haarala as he has logged 59 innings in 13 appearances including 11 starts with 53 strikeouts for the southpaw and a sparkling 1.42 earned run average with four complete games.

He saved one of the best performances of his career for his last start, as he hurled a complete game one-hit shutout as his Bulldogs nipped visiting South Jones 1-0 in game one of the Class 5A South State semifinal round match-up.

Although the Braves went on to take the series, his outstanding performance included seven strikeouts and three walks. He allowed only a single to the third Braves batter of the game, and he set down the side in order three times.

“That’s what he does. He gave us another outing that we are all accustomed to seeing from him,” Haarala said. “He competed his tail off and made big pitch after big pitch throughout the game.”

Harper out-dueled Southern Miss signee Dylan Causey of the Braves, who was almost as masterful tossing a complete game two-hitter and striking out nine while walking four.

“He’s been dynamite (this season) and he’s been that way his whole high school career,” Haarala, a VHS alum who was an assistant coach last season when his Bulldogs took the title, said. “He’s going to go out and fill the zone up, throw three pitches for strikes, and get guys out. Every time he’s on the mound we know he’s gonna give us a start that gives us a chance to win the game.”

Harper was also a a force to be reckoned with with the bat as well, as he led VHS in RBIs with 37 runs batted in while hitting .375 with five doubles, two triples and three home runs making him the essence of an effective dual role standout whether he is pitching or playing first base.

So, no matter who steps up to be one of the top pitchers and best hitters for the Bulldogs on the diamond next season, or blockers and ball carriers on the gridiron, they’ll certainly have some large cleats to fill with “Harp” moving on.